


Yoked

by iLurked



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Import from Tumblr, post 1x15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1467430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iLurked/pseuds/iLurked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I felt something before; for someone on my team. It seems foolish now."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yoked

Ward was accused, more than once, of not knowing which one was Fitz and which one was Simmons.

Nothing could be further from the truth. He may not know where Fitz’s work ended and Simmons’ began, but he knew the differences between them that mattered. (He also knew that some people considered Fitz and Simmons as one and the same: interchangeable, co-dependent, redundant. Ward, however, knew better. They were both unique, different from the other, if one only took pains to look.)

For one thing, Simmons’ smile was like the sun: warm, buoyant and freely given. She laughed more often, be it at the situation or at herself. Fitz, on the other hand, was more prone to frown and was less inclined to look at the funny side of any situation he found himself in.

It was Simmons who was blessed with gentle, caring hands. When Ward was still a lone agent, his least favorite part of a mission was the end: the time when he had to go over every inch of his body to ensure that he suffered no injuries, as he was trained to push aside pain when adrenaline was pumping through his system. Now, Simmons had taken over the job and Ward couldn’t be more grateful. For the first time in his career, there was someone who would meet him at the end of each mission, a person who cared to know what happened to him and who would ensure he would live to fight another day. (On the other hand, Ward and Fitz agreed never to speak of that one time the engineer had to stitch up the specialist. Ward did not know who between the two of them was more traumatized because of the experience.)

Ward knew that while Fitz was the better singer, Simmons was the more enthusiastic one. He heard the two of them singing their hearts out while cleaning the laboratory after it was almost destroyed by the nut job who wanted to speed up the coming of the apocalypse. He was also sure that it was Simmons’ idea to blast show tunes while doing a very dispiriting job (Ward had heard Fitz complain lengthily and bitterly earlier how their research was set back by a year because of the incident). Her ability to move above the challenges set before her in order to do the things she was tasked to do was admirable, as was her talent of squeezing pleasure out of every minute of every damn day. Fitz, for his part, would complain first and take action later. (It was also at that time that Ward learned that Simmons was a very good dancer, while Fitz dancing reminded him of that one time he killed a man by electrocution.)

Ward knew that Fitz and Simmons took turns falling apart. When Skye was fighting for her life, they seem to have made it a point to ensure that when one was breaking down, the other was being strong. (Ward may be the one to catch Simmons if she fell, but it was the engineer who helped in picking up the pieces and in putting herself together.)

Like the interloper he was, Ward watched from the outside as Simmons laughed heartily at something Fitz said. Immediately, the engineer’s arrogant stance softened, his anger abated. He reached out to ruffle Simmons’ hair and his hands got slapped away for their efforts. The effect of her laughter, however, was not limited to the rocket scientist. Ward himself was not immune to it.

Her laughter served as a balm to Ward’s troubled soul; her smile filled the cracks in his heart; her touch kept him going. But not for the first time since meeting her, Ward wondered if she would still have him, even if he was a broken, weary soldier who had seen and done too much. Would she have him even if she already had someone with her? Someone who was better, who understood her and could keep up with her? Someone whose hands were not tainted with blood? Would she have room in her heart for him, even if it was already filled with friends, family, and Fitz?

Afraid that the answer would be in the negative, Ward kept his distance, convincing himself that he was satisfied with glimpses and snippets of the brilliant biochemist.


End file.
